Anti-ambiguity mechanism for pinwheel-type counters



Jan. 30, 1968 J. SUNDBLOM 3,365,325

ANTI-AMBIGUITY MECHANISM FOR PINWHEEL-TYPE COUNTERS 7 Filed Feb. 16, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV-ENTOR LEIF J. SUNDBLOM v BY W M r W ATTORNEYS Jan. 30; 1968 L. J. SUND-BLOM ANTI-AMBIGUITY MECHANISM FOR PINWHEEL-TYPE COUNTERS 7 Filed Feb. 16, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

LEIF J. SUNDBLOM ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1968 L. J. SUNDBLOM 3,366,326

TYPE COUNTERS ANTI-AMBIGUITY MECHANISM FOR PINWHEEL- Filed Feb. 16, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 INVENTOR I LE" J. SUNDBLOM M ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1968 J, su D oM 3,366,326

ANTI-AMBIGUITY MECHANISM FOR PINWHEEL-T IPE COUNTERS Filed Feb. 16, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FlG 6 INVENTOR.

L ElF J. SUNDBLOM M M r- I ATTORNEYS United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a pinwheel-type counter, the lowest-order dial is stopped in the 9 position while the counting mechanism continues to proceed to the zero position of the lowestorder wheel. When the nexthigher-order wheel snaps forward one count as a result of the mechanism reaching the zero position of the lowest order, the lowest-order dial is released and snaps into its zero position under the. influence of a spring.

Background of the invention This invention relates to transfer mechanisms of the pinwheel type, and more particularly to a delay mechanism which prevents ambiguity of indications by holding the lowest-order wheel in the 9 position until the nexthigher-order wheel snaps to the next count.

Transfer mechanisms of the pinwheel type are described in US. Patent No. 2,289,869 to William F. Berck. These mechanisms basically operate on the principle of a cam follower on the lower-order wheel riding along a snail cam on the lower-order Wheel. When the cam follower rides off the end of the snail cam, a transfer arm advances the next-higher-order pinwheel one count by engagement of its transfer finger with a pin of the higher-order pinwheel. On the return movement of the cam follower, the transfer finger ratchets back down over the next succeeding pin of the higher-order pinwheel.

It is inherent in the nature of pinwheel-type counters that the lowest-order dial rotates continuously, but that the higher-order dials snap from one count to the next when the lowest-order dial goes through its zero position. If such a mechanism is incorporated in a metering device such as, for example, a gasoline pump, it is possible that a delivery might be completed at the instant just before the second-order dial snaps to the next count. If this is the case, the indication on the lowest-order dial will be, for all practical purposes, zero, yet the position of the second-order dial will still be short of having advanced one count. As a result, it is conceivable that the operator might read the delivery indication as, e.g. $1.20 when it should really be $1.30.

Summar of the invention The present invention solves this problem by introducing delay mechanism which halts the lowest-order dial when it reaches the 9 position until the second-order dial snaps to the next count. Synchronism in counting is assured because the lowest-order dial is released by the actual snapping movement of the second-order wheel, and a spring immediately snaps the lowest-order dial to zero as soon as it is released. Consequently, the maximum error in indication, at the instant before a second-order count occurs, is just under one unit of the lowest-order dial (one cent in the example given).

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide an anti-ambiguity mechanism for pinwheel-type counters which prevents misindications of one unit or more of the lowest-order.

It is another object of this invention to provide a delay mechanism for the lowest-order dial of a pinwheeltype counter which halts the lowest-order dial in the 9 3,366,326 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 position and does not release it until the count has been transferred to the next-higher-order wheel.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a mechanism of the type described in which the lowestorder dial is released by the counting action of the nexthigher-order dial to assure simultaneous changing of the indications of both the lowest-order dial and the next higher-order dial.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an apparatus of the type involved in the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view showing the condition of the apparatus while the lowest-order wheel is in the 8 position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the lowest-order wheel in the 9 position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the mechanism just before the lowest-order wheel reaches the 0 position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the mechanism in the position it occupies just after the lowest-order wheel has reached the 0 position; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to FIG. 1, the device embodied in the present invention is generally shown at 10. The counter 10 may be equipped with a pair of sets of indicating dials 12, 14 which may indicate, for example, price and gallonage. The indications of the dials 12, 14 are visible through windows 16. Control lever 18 may be provided by resetting the dials 12 and 14 to zero following, e.g., a delivery of fluid.

In FIGS. 2 through 7, only the left-hand (price) array of dials 12 is shown for clarity. It will be understood that the right-hand (gallonage) array 14 may operate in the same manner, although as a practical matter, governmental regulations may in some instances prohibit the use of the invention on a gallonage counter. The reason for such a prohibition is that if the lowest-order gallonage dial is a tenths-of-a-gallon dial, and the commodity sold retails at, say, thirty cents per gallon, the maximum possible indication error created by the use of the invention is gallon or three cents worth, which exceeds the maximum allowable error of one cent or one cents worth.

The array 12 is composed of a lowest-order dial 20 and a pair of higher-order dials 22, 24. The dials 20 through 24 are keyed, respectively, to pinwheels 26, 28 and 30. Each of the pinwheels 26 through 30 carries ten pins 32.

Snail cams 34 are associated with all pinwheels except the highest-order pinwheel 30. Riding on the snail cams 34 are cam followers 36 equipped with rollers 38 and pivoted on a stud 40 mounted in frame 42. A disengaging arm 44 and a transfer arm 46 are keyed to the cam follower 36 and move with it. As the count of the lowestorder dial 20 proceeds through increasing numbers, the roller 38 is gradually positioned outward by the spiral surface 48 of snail cam 34. The pressure of roller 38 against surface 48 under the influence of spring 50 causes the snail cam 34 to move clockwise as far as it can go under the restriction of pin 52 mounted on the pinwheel and slidable in slot 54 formed in the snail cam 34.

As the lowest-order wheel reaches a count-of 9, the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 4. In that condition, the transfer arm 46 and the transfer finger 56 of the lowest-order wheel are out of engagement with the pinwheel 23. Pinwheel 28 is held in its position by engagement of its pin 58 with the surface 60 of anti-reversal pawl 62, which is urged into engagement with pinwheel 28 by its spring 64. The pin 58 is biased against surface 60 by the clockwise bias exerted by the engagement of roller 38 of the middle wheel with surface 48 of its snail cam 34, that bias being transmitted to the pinwheel 28 through the interaction of slot 54 and pin 52 of the secend-order wheel.

Coming back now to the lowest-order stage, it will be seen by studying FIG. 6 that as the lowest-order dial reaches the zero position, roller 38 of cam follower 36 rolls over the edge of the snail cam 34 and kicks the snail cam 34 counterclockwise until the pin 52 reaches the other end of slot 54. This results in a sudden clockwise movement of cam follower 36 about stud 40. As a result, the surface 66 of transfer finger 56 engages pin 68 of the second-order pinwheel 28 and snaps it upward by one count until pin 70 of pinwheel 28 abuts against the arcuate surface 72 of transfer arm 46 which has moved into its way simultaneously with the movement of transfer finger 56. The counterclockwise movement of pinwheel 28 during the count is allowed by the inclined surface 74 of the anti-reversal pawl 62 which rides up over pin 76 during the counting movement against the bias of its spring 64.

As the count on the lowest-order dial 20 continues, cam follower 36 once again resumes its counterclock- Wise movement about stud 40. During this movement, transfer finger 56 ratchets over pin 70 against the bias of its spring 78, the transfer finger 56 being pivoted on stud 80 mounted on transfer arm 46. While the count on the lowest-order dial 20 proceeds from zero to 9, the transfer arm gradually moves downward from the position of FIG. 6 to the position of FIG. 4, where it is then ready for another count on second-order dial 22.

In accordance'with the present invention, and contrary to the usual practice in the construction of pinwheel-type counters, the lowest-order dial 20 is not keyed to its pinwheel 26. Instead, the dial 20 is mounted on a shaft segment 82 which is juxtaposed with the shaft segment 84 in a lost-motion relationship. The shaft segment 84 is driven by the input drive of the counter. The lowest-order dial 20 is also provided with a disc 86 which is also mounted on the shaft segment 82 and is keyed to the dial 20.

The disc 86 is provided with a notch 88 into which can drop a finger 90 of a stop arm 92 pivoted on stud 94. The stop arm 92 carries a pin 96 which is movable within the slot 98 of a linkage 100. The stop arm 92 is biased in a counterclockwise direction about stud 94 by a spring 102. The left end of linkage 100 is journaled on pin 104 mounted on the detent 110.

The operation of the device is as follows: During most of the rotation of dial 20, finger 90 rides on the rim of disc 86 (see FIG. 2). When the dial 20 reaches the 9 position (see FIG. 4), the finger 90 drops into notch 88 under the influence of spring 102 and prevents dial 20 from turning any further. Likewise, the shaft segment 82 stops. However, the shaft segment 84 continues to turn and starts to take up the lost motion between shaft segments 82 and 84 against the bias of a spiral spring 105 connected between the two shaft segments. Inasmuch as pinwheel 26 is keyed to shaft segment 84, it continues to rotate, carrying its snail cam 34 with it; and eventually roller 38 of cam follower 36 rides over the end of the snail cam, and a counting action of the second-order pinwheel 28 takes place as described hereinabove.

In the course of the counting operation of pinwheel 28, it will be remembered that anti-reversal pawl 62 and detent 110 ratchet over pin 76 by moving clockwise about stud 106. This movement of detent 110 causes pin 104 to be moved to the right, and consequently linkage 100 also moves to the right. The left end of slot 98 thereupon engages pin 96 and pushes it to the right also. This movement. causes stop arm 92 to be rotated clockwise about stud 94, and finger 90 is consequently lifted out of notch 88. As soon as finger 90 leaves notch 88, disc 86 is once again free to move in a counterclockwise direction, and

the spiral spring 105 which connects shaft segments 82 and 84 urges shaft segment 82 into the position which it occupies in FIG. 6. Since the counting movement of pinwheel 28 occurred in what would normally be the zero position of dial 20, it will be seen that spring 105 snaps dial 20 from the 9 position to the 0 position at the precise moment at which detent ratchets over pin 76 during the counting movement of pinwheel 28.

Detents 110 biased by springs 112 are provided for continuous engagement with pinwheels 26, and 28 to hold the pinwheels 26 and 28 against displacement by vibrational movement.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple but effective anti-ambiguity mechanism which prevents any erroneous indication of more than one unit of the lowest order. Obviously, the teachings of this invention can be carried out in various ways of which the embodiment described herein is merely illustrative. Therefore, I do not desire to be limited by the embodiment shown and described, but only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An anti-ambiguity mechanism for pinwheel-type counters, comprising:

(a) means for stopping the rotation of the lowest-order dial at the last indication preceding a 0 indication;

(b) means for continuing the operation of the lowestorder stage into the 0 position and transferring a count to the next-higher-order stage; and

(c) means operable when said lowest-order stage reaches the 0 position for releasing said lowest-order dial and instantaneously advancing it to a 0 indication.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, in which said lastnamed means are operated simultaneously with the registration of said transferred count on said next-higherorder stage.

3. The mechanism of claim 2, in which said simultaneous operation is triggered by the registration of a count on said next-higher-order stage.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, in which said first-named means include releasable stop means biased into position to stop said dial at its last indication preceding a 0 indication, said stop means being released by the registration of a count on said next-higher-order stage.

5. The mechanism of claim 1, on which said operation-continuing means comprise a split drive shaft having a lost-motion connection for said lowest-order stage; said dial being conected to the free segment of said split drive shaft, and the pinwheel of said lowest-order stage being connected to the driven segment of said split drive shaft; and bias means biasing said free segment into synchronism with said driven segment.

6. The mechanism of claim 5, further including releasable stop means biased into position to stop said dial at its last indication preceding a 0 indication; and pawl means associated with the pinwheel of said neXt-higher-order stage and connected to said stop means to release said stop means when said neXthigher-0rder stage registers a count.

7. The mechanism of claim 6, in which said pawl means and said stop means are connected by a lostmotion linkage, and said pawl means is pivoted to cause said linkage to release said stop means whenever a pin of said neXt-higher-order pinwheel passes under said pawl.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,289,869 7/1942 Berck 235-434 3,236,446 2/ 196-6 Librande 235-434 3,309,018 3/1967 Wilson 235-141 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. A. WA As i tan E m ner. 

